The trials and tribulations of a big change!

Tag Archives: Birthday

I’m ever so happy that God brought this wonderful man into the world all those years ago. It’s so funny to think that we grew up in different countries, but that our paths still crossed 8 years ago – a seemingly ordinary meeting that eventually developed into our very own romantic (and sometimes bureaucratically frustrating!) journey.

God really does create someone especially for you. I believe that now! Mani and I are evidence of that. Sure, our personalities differ like night and day…no, more like…honey and water…but we’re still perfect for one another. We balance one another out so well and our strengths and weaknesses, combined, are the perfect mixture!

He’s my best friend. My life partner. Someone I can sit and chat to until the early hours of the morning. Someone I can laugh with. Someone I can run to and cry with when things seem too much – but also, someone who always reminds me that He is actually the one I should always go to. How lovely is that? A husband who directs me to the One who has me in His hands, no matter what…the One who cared so much for me that He blessed me with the perfect partner. As I always say to Mani – we’re not perfect, but we’re perfect for each other…

So…happy birthday Mani! It sucks that we can’t be together to celebrate this day, but hopefully this will be the last time we’re apart on a birthday. Thank you for what you’ve meant to me and my family. You’ve been such a lovely example of someone who has a heart for many 🙂 You’re amazing! xxx

So the 23rd of January was my birthday, but I tell you what – as the week progressed, I was more and more blessed!

Firstly, I was treated to all-you-can-stuff-in-your-mouth sushi with my friend Susan – something which made my heart skip a joyous beat, because – I LOVE SUSHI! 😀

This rather fuzzy picture is just a sample of my first plate of glorious sushi (and there were two other plates that followed. Though..I have to mention, I couldn’t get through the third!) But not only did Susan bless me with one of my favourite meals – nope – she also gave me this!…

A lovely, lovely, lovely necklace with a lovely, lovely, lovely cross on it! 🙂 I remember us discussing the fact that I’ve always wanted a necklace with a cross, and she remembered that conversation and decided to make my wish come true! Thank you Susan!

So that was Tuesday – but it didn’t end there. Nope! I met up with my friend Lauren for a coffee-catch-up and after blessing me with an awesome hug (I miss those from her!), she blessed me with an exciting hamper!

Yes, how lucky can one girl get?! A hamper full of some things that just make me smiiiiiile! Chocolate, muffin mix, chocolate cookies, wasabi rice cake biscuits, pasta sauce, white chocolate coffee sachets, and a copy of Good Housekeeping (I reckon she purposefully included this last item as a way to get me off reading the You magazine!) Thank you La!

Then later in the afternoon, I received a notepad and purple pen from Karrie, much to my delight. I can’t add a photo of this, because it’s in my car and already has many, many scribbled notes on it! Thank you Karrie!

On Wednesday and Thursday evening, I went out to dinner with my (looney) friend Tara, from London, who’d been in Cape Town on business. The two of us crack one another up and it was lovely to be able to see her while she was visiting – there’s nothing quite like a good ol’ catch-up with a friend! Thank you Tara!

So yes, though Mr De Pro is still hanging around a bit – wanting to poke and prod me – I’ve been quite positive this week! I think what’s helped is the fact that I’ve avoided plonking my arse on the couch in an attempt to feel sorry for myself. And also – this week has just proven to me how important friends are and how they really can make such a difference to your circumstances, even if they don’t realise it… 🙂

Yes indeed, so 23 January has rolled on and I’m feeling kind of special. Why? Well, yeah, it’s my birthday…but besides that…I just feel completely blessed by all the birthday wishes I’ve received. Has it made me all warm and fuzzy inside? YES, it has!!!

The day started off with my parents picking me up and taking me out to a very yummy breakfast! I realised, however, as I got ready to go out with them, that I wasn’t feeling too well…nonetheless, we went out. Besides taking me out for breakfast, they loaded me with yummy veggies, 2 minute noodles (LOVE THEM!), and peaches. Perhaps an odd gift some may think – but for me – one of love! (And one that’s much needed, being unemployed at the moment and all 😉 !!)

As the day progressed, I realised I must have eaten something dodgey in the past few days, as I really started feeling worse. I eventually got home, put on my pj’s and spent the rest of my birthday on the couch with the telly on. I didn’t watch much, because I was passed out, but I guess it was good to rest! And besides, all my friends were busy anyway, so it’s not like I was missing out on a huuuuuge birthday party!

I also received some luciously lovely nail varnish and nail products from a dear friend who’s visiting from the UK – and these were even wrapped and tied with a purple ribbon – much to my heart’s delight! What also got me smiling ear-to-ear was the fact that these travelled in her handbag aaaaall the way from England – lucky me!

And what did I get from Mani?! Ah yes, well! I couldn’t resist, and I did some poking and prodding of his gifts…and I managed to correctly guess what they were – but I was still so very pleased with what he got for me!

Firstly…some lovely earrings!

Ah but not only did he get me them lovely earrings…nope…he also gave me a gift card from Woolworths (score!) and a bar of soap. Ok let me explain, because really…who gives someone a bar of soap?! Instead of the gift card simply being handed over in a little envelope, it’s presented as part of a little pack, which includes a lovely vintage-looking Lemon and Verbena soap – yaaaay!

Oh I’m happy! Even if I am at home feeling a little sick…I know tomorrow I’ll be totally fine again and besides – some people wissssh they could just spend the day on the couch! It’s been a good day (though it’s not over just yet!); and receiving messages from family and friends in South Africa and Germany has just made it all the more special!

Like this:

Alright so as I mentioned in another post, I’ve been taking photos, but I haven’t actually posted any. It’s not because I’m lazy, it’s just that I forget about them or run out of time. Well, on 2 April it was Mani’s 27th birthday and I wanted to bake a cake for him. But the problem about being English and living in Germany is that all the instructions on baking products…well, any products really…are in German. And it’s not like I’m stupid and cannot figure the instructions out, but I just didn’t want his birthday cake, of all cakes, to be a flop. So I had a clever idea (in Afrikaans we have a saying…’ ‘n Boer maak ‘n plan’ –> ‘A Boer makes a plan’). So I bought a pre-made sponge cake, some chocolate and chocolate covered, coloured peanuts. The plan was to melt the chocolate and cover the sponge cake with it, and then ‘write’ happy birthday with the nuts…but the thing about plans is that they don’t always work….

Let me show you what I mean. This is how the cake turned out:

Now you see…the thing about this cake is that it actually says something…can you figure out what it says? Do I hear you say ‘no’? Well, it says ‘Happy B-D’, I promise it does 😦 When Mani first looked at it, he said, ‘Oh cute, you put a smiley face on it’, to which I replied, ‘No, there’s no smiley face! It says Happy B-D’. Still can’t see it? Ok, let me show you…

See, it does say Happy B-D. Anyway, moving on.

I had a little friend visit me the other day – I’m not used to seeing pigeons quite this big, so excuse me if you think it’s funny that I took a photo of a pigeon. Yeah sure, in South Africa we have big birds- like Ostriches – but our pigeons are a tad smaller!

What’s really surprised me here in Berlin is the fact that birds chatter all the time. Back home, they chatter from about 5am until 6pm – and then they sleep. Oh no, not here in Berlin! No – here the birds chat away continually. For instance, whilst planting flowers on the balcony at midnight last night (that’s for another post…), some bird was sitting in a random tree chatting away like nobody’s business. For what reason, I’m not sure, perhaps he/she was just happy and felt the need to talk to anyone who’d listen – but back at home, that wouldn’t happen, no matter how strongly a bird felt the urge to chat. Anyway, that’s arbitrary, random information that I thought you should know. Well, now you know.